Means for converting steering means for motor-vehicles into right or left hand drives.



ll M. JACOBS.& W. CRAMER.

v MEANS FORCONVERTING STEERING MEANS. FOR MOTOR VEHICLES INTO RIGHT 0RLEFT HAND DRIVES.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 28. I9I7.'

1,299,348., Patented Apr.1,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

III

' Inventors.- 5'

mmwum differ-neg I. MJACOBS &W. CRAMERJ MEANS FOR CONVERTING STEERINGMEANS-FOR MOTOR VEHICLES INTO RIGHT OR LEFT HAND DRIVES.

Patented Apr. 1, I919I 2 SHEETSSHEEI 2.

I [Viz/en tors.- M 74 WA STATES FATENT OFFICE.

ISIDOR M. JACOBS, OF KANSAS CITY, AND WILLIAM ORAMER, OF ST. LOUIS,MISSOURI, .ASSIGNORS, BY MESN E ASSIGNMENTS, T0 TRUCK, TRACTOR ANDMANUFAOTURING COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OFMISSOURI.

MEANS FOR CONVERTING STEERING MEANS FOR MOTOR-VEHICLES INTO RIGHT ORLEFT HAND DRIVES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 1, 1919.

Application filed October 26, 1917. Serial No. 198,643.

1 '0 all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that we, ISIDOR M. JACOBS and WILLIAM CRAMER, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Kansas City, 1n the county of Jackson andState of Missouri, and St. Louis, State of Missouri, respectively; haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for ConvertingSteering Means for Motor-Vehlcles into Right or Left Hand Drives, ofwlnch the following is a specification.

This invention, while it may be 0f general utility, is especiallydesigned in aid of the salvage constructions contemplated by theapplication for patent, Serial Number 163,652, filed by one of the jointinventors herein named, and has for its object the ready utilization ofsalvaged motor vehlcle parts, whether of right or left hand drivemachines.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, inwhich like numbers of reference denote like parts wherever they occur,

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic top plan view of the steering mechanism of amotor vehicle;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same;

Fig. 3 is a top plan diagrammatic view showing the same reversed for adrive of the opposite hand;

Fig. 4 is a view taken on the line 4-4: in Fig. 3, looking in thedirection of the arrows;

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view showing means of attachment to thesteering rod;

Fig. 6 is a horizontal sectional detail on an enlarged scale, on theline 66 in Fig. 4, showing the worm and gear, but omitting the bracket.

In salvaging motor vehicles and reconstructing the same into trucks,tractors, or tractor-trucks, as described in the abovementionedapplication for patent, simple.

cheap, and ready means are necessary for adapting the parts on hand toeither a right or left hand drive which is hereby provided. The samecanalso be used in any motor vehicle construction in which suchconvertibility is desired or necessary.

The front wheels 1 are connected by the axle 2, to which they arepivotally attached at 3 and i in the usual manner.

A steering knuckle 5 extends from each of the short shafts 6 and areconnected by a rod 7. The rod 7 is slipped through the hole 8 in themember 9 having the pair of jaws 10. Tightening nut 11 on bolt 12tighten jaws 10 on rod 7 and holds the same fast. Member 9 is providedwith the universal head 13, which fits in socket 14 in block 15 mountedon rod 16, which rod .16 has a similar ball and socket connection 17with rod 18 which is in fixed connection at 19 with a shaft 20 driven bya worm gear contained within housing 21, Which worm gear is driven by aworm contained within housing 22. The said worm is turned in onedirection or the other by steering post 23 moved by steering Wheel 24.

The gear housing 21 and gear contained therein is supported by bracket25 from chassis 26. When the steering wheel 24 is turned in onedirection, the worm within the housing 22 actuates the worm gear withinthe housing 21, which swings rod 18 in an are having its center at thecenter of the shaft 20, and with it rod 7, which thereby turns thewheels 1 on their pivots 3 and 4= in the respective direction accordingto the direction in which the rod 18 is swung.

Fig. 3 is upon a slightly enlarged scale as compared to Fig. 1, and sois Fig. 4: as compared to Fig. 2.

Figs. 3 and 4 merely show the arrangement of Fig. 1 reversed to put thesteering wheel upon the right for a right hand drive instead of on theleft as in Figs. 1 and 2 for a left hand drive. The simplicity of thearrangements for this purpose and its suitability for the contemplatedpurpose will be readily appreciated.

Having thus described this invention, we hereby reserve the benefit ofall changes in form, arrangement, order, or use of parts, as it isevident that many minor changes may be made therein without departingfrom the spirit of this invention, or the scope of the following claim.

Claim:

A steering mechanism of the type described, including stub-wheel axlespivotr0 er a rod-member havin knuckle-con:

nection With said stub-axles, a controlling.

rod, a clamp between said rods, a third rod, a hand-actuated shaft, saidclamp and said third rod having ball and socket connections with said"controlling rod at its opposite ends, said hand-actuated shaft and saidthird rod being entergeared together, the intergeared mechanismcomprising a pinion Whose shaft is'fast'to saidthird rodtand a a Wormintegral with said hand-actuated shaft, the shaft of saidpiniontogetherwith" said intergeared mechanism formingari'ght angledconnection between said thli'd rod and said hand-actuated shaft.

our signatures.

ISIDOR M. JACOBS. WILLIAM GRAMERi Copies of this patent may be obtainedfor five centseach, by adiil re ss i n g the commissioner 0! Patents,Washington, D. G."

